


violence, violence asleep

by adelheid



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/F, F/M, Psychological Drama, Thriller, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-05 01:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/717125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adelheid/pseuds/adelheid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jen is taken from Selina as a guaranty that she'll follow Bane's orders. But after she delivers the Bat, she finds the deal has changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

~ * ~

The cloth smelled of spearmint and gasoline. Odd combination. She bit into it, sucking on her own spit and sweat. It tasted rancid. She coughed, shutting her eyes momentarily. In the dark, she felt better. In the dark, the bearded man wasn't staring at her. In the dark, she didn't imagine cutting off his fingers, one by one. 

In the dark, she could see Selina's face, sharp and angular, like a marble statue. That face had never been kind, but she'd always felt safe in its presence. 

_I've really gone and done it this time,_ she thought sourly. 

Jen thought getting kidnapped had been her own fault. Selina had told her, time and again, to be more careful and pay attention to the men following her. 

"Stop going off on your own at night."

"I can handle myself," was her usual reply.

"I know you can, but if you get caught, they catch me too and I won't be able to bail you out."

She had tried to listen, but she had found it impossible. If she stood still for too long, she got nervous and antsy. One time, Selina had caught her right when she was about to drop the hair-dryer in the bathtub.

She had wrestled her out of the water and locked her up in the bedroom until she felt less _antsy_.

Jen figured wandering off on her own at night was a lot safer for her and less of a hassle for Selina. She rarely got into real trouble. She only ever liked to cut up brawlers and noise-makers. She never did much damage. 

But she was wrong. It hadn't been her fault. She could have been anywhere, she could have been doing anything. Bane's men would have found her. They had been given specific orders.

No, this time, it was Selina's fault. 

~ * ~

When she stepped into the power room again, Bruce's body was gone. There were visible signs a violent altercation had taken place, but Bane had covered his tracks well. The only remnant of the fight was a chipped, black bat ear. It had been part of the Batman's mask. She picked it up, fingers trembling.

The Batman couldn't be dead. Not yet. Bane wasn't done with him, was he? Bane meant to teach him a lesson. He was fond of giving lessons. What would a lesson be without the pupil?

She could hear her own voice rambling. _He managed to stay alive all these years. What's one more night?_

The more she thought about it, though, the more she dreaded the outcome of Bruce's punishment. If he was alive, he was going to be in pain. 

Steeling herself, she dropped the bat ear through one of the holes in the ground. It fell with a splash in the black waters of the sewer. 

She looked up at the control room.

Selina Kyle had her own child to worry abut now. 

  
~ * ~

Her fingers traced the pressure wheel with skilled patience. She was sure she could find some weakness, even here. The door wasn't sealed shut. At least, not from within.

A shadow crossed the wall, leaving behind the figure of a man not altogether unfamiliar.

"You can stop prying. He's not here. And when he returns, he won't want to speak with _you_."

"Barsad," she murmured demurely. "You're grouchier than usual."

"You've got a lot of nerve trying to get past that door."

"We had a deal. I've delivered the Batman. I've done everything he's asked me to."

"Out of fear."

"Out of _respect_ for a fellow do-gooder," she replied, smirking. It felt like a grimace.

"Save your tricks for later, sweetheart."

"They're not meant for _you_."

Barsad shrugged his shoulders. "He's not going to fall for them, either."

"Oh? Have you conquered the whole city, then?"

Barsad glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that you're new in town and you don't know how things work. If you want full victory, you need someone on the inside."

Barsad laughed in his beard. 

"Someone like you?"

Selina raised an eyebrow at him, as if that were a stupid question to ask. 

"There are cheaper men out there, more loyal too," he replied gruffly. 

"Sure. Not as skilled, though."

"Well, I'll admit your claws aren't half bad."

His eyes lingered on every part of her body, except for the famed claws.

She smirked, cringing inwardly. "If you were smart, you'd keep me on your side."

"That's exactly what we're doing."

"By keeping Jen away from me?"

" _Jen_? I'd no idea that small thing even had a name. Looks more like a scared mouse to me. I'm surprised no one's eaten her up yet."

Selina snarled at him, baring her teeth. Her claws were coming out. She was done playing nice. 

"Kitten shouldn't scratch _me_ ," he replied, clicking his tongue. "Your bone's with Bane. His direct orders."

"What do you mean?"

"He expressly told me I'm to keep her here, indefinitely."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"If I know one thing about Bane, it's that he is a man of his word. He might be many things, but a liar he is _not_. He promised me something."

Barsad tilted his head to the side, amused. 

"Aye. He's a man of his word. But you're _not_. And until Bane feels that you can be trusted, he'll keep your precious toy as guaranty."

"That was _not_ the deal."

"Deals change, sweetheart. So do loyalties."

"What does he want me to do?" she barked angrily.

Barsad smiled. He enjoyed riling her up.

"Easy there, kitten. You'll find out soon enough. He's got a plan for you. He's got a plan for everyone."

"Like he did for the Bat?" she asked bitterly.

"Now why would you say something like that? When you delivered him yourself. Or are you having second thoughts?"

"Take me instead. Take anything else," she spoke, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. 

"You've got nothing else, sweetheart. And we both know, she's your heart."

Selina choked back the sob that threatened to escape her throat. The last time she had cried, she had been ten. But something about his words shook her very being. It's as if until now she had not been aware she had a heart.  It had started beating quite suddenly.

She knew, though, that it was not here. It was in the black waters, along with the Bat's mask. 

"Don't worry, kitten. She'll be looked after. She's a Gotham citizen. And Bane takes care of all Gotham citizens. He means to give the power back to the people."

Selina fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, that's power, all right," she muttered, hiding her face in the shadows. 

~ * ~

For one brief moment, Jen thought she had heard Selina's voice. It sounded as if it was coming from a tunnel. She opened her eyes, feeling a splitting headache grip her temples. She had been nodding on and off for the past half hour, so she wasn't quite sure what was real and what was fantasy. 

The heat was not made up. She was lying next to the boiler. That much was true.

And the voice?

It could have been a dream, but if it wasn't, had Selina found her? 

Selina had a knack for finding people. Jen could only manage to hide from her for two days straight.

It was very quiet now. As much as she wished it, she couldn't will the voice into existence again. She moaned, breaking the silence. Her mouth tasted like fire. 

If this was a dream, it was not a very strange one. She had been motionless and alone in made-up places before. The only difference was that now she was tied up, which meant she couldn't harm herself, or anyone else. 

Gradually, she fell asleep again. 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

~ * ~

Jen blinked fast and swallowed the water in large gulps, drops dribbling down her chin. The same bearded man from before was holding a plastic cup to her mouth.

"Drink slow, mouse."

Jen complied. She was almost choking. She'd never been so thirsty before.

"Want another?" he asked, refilling the cup.

She nodded vigorously. "Thanks."

Barsad wasn't used to someone thanking him. He only grumbled in reply.

"Um, s'warm," she said, when he took the cup from her lips.

"The water?"

"No...here."

Barsad looked around at the tiny boiler room and chuckled.

"Sorry 'bout the locale. Place is kind of packed at the moment," he explained, as if he were telling her about some trivial matter.

Even though she was dirt-ridden, Jen still looked as innocent as a child. Her large warm eyes seemed to show him sympathy. Barsad was taken by surprise.

"Not your fault," she mumbled before she sipped from the cup again.

Barsad smirked. "Did Selina teach you to play nice?"

The mention of Selina made her hair bristle. But she continued drinking, without bothering to answer.

After a while, Barsad set the cup down and took a wet cloth in his hand. He started wiping her forehead.

"Is she okay?" Jen asked, at last.

"Kitten's where she belongs. I would worry more about yourself if I were you."

Jen sighed, feeling the cool fabric on her feverish temples. That was nice.

Barsad paused and looked at her bright face.

"You're just a kid who got mixed up with the wrong people, aren't you?"

Jen smiled a small, sad smile.

"I guess. Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"A kid who...got mixed up with the wrong people?"

Barsad smirked. "Do I look like a kid?"

Jen saw the mischief in his eyes, the turned-up lips, the laugh lines around his mouth.

"Yes."

Barsad almost laughed. He drew closer to her and dabbed the wet cloth at her neck.

"Except for the nose. The nose's too big," she commented, pointing at it with her chin.

Barsad was going to make a joke about how men with big noses had other big body parts, too.

He didn't get the chance.

One minute he was crouching down in front of her, the next, he was lying on the floor, almost unconscious, blood running freely from his nose.

He touched the wound gingerly. It sported bite marks. Half his nose had been bitten off.

He realized then, he was alone in the boiler room.

Barsad lifted himself up with a groan and roared in anger.

~ * ~

News of her disappearance spread quickly. As well as the fact that it had been the second in command who had let her escape. The henchmen did not like Barsad. They thought he was proud, arrogant and domineering. They were happy Bane was going to be displeased with him.

They were disappointed, however.

When Bane saw that his most trusted henchman looked like he'd been attacked by mongrels, he said nothing. Only the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement.

"I'll catch her and give her a lesson, that I will," the second in command spoke spitefully.

"The mouse has scurried off, it seems. She can't be far away, though," Bane said, almost as if he wanted to mollify him.

Bane was always soft-spoken and polite, even when he was angry. But everyone could sense the latent power behind his words.

~ * ~

She remained a fugitive for a day and a half. Bane's men knew she couldn't get out of the tunnels without them catching her, so it was only a question of time. She was trapped down there. She just had to come out of the hole she'd hidden in.

Jen was hanging upside down, legs wound around one of the copper pipes. Her wild, blond hair fell down like a curtain in the darkness.

She was trying to ease the bolts with nothing but a hair pin and a small shard of glass.

She suddenly pulled herself up when she thought she heard a noise.

It was soft, like a pattering of feet.

Then she saw a fat, ugly rat running across the wet floor.

She wrinkled her nose.

"My men call you the Mouse. And yet you are frightened of them."

Jen almost fell from the ceiling, but she grabbed onto the pipe at the last minute.

How had he managed to surprise her? How had she not heard him?

He was a beast of a man. Surely, he would make his presence known.

And yet, he had rounded up on her without her even noticing.

Just like Selina.

"Will you come down, Mouse?"

Jen watched him carefully. His mask was hideous. There was no way around it. Usually, the first thing she noticed about a man or woman was whether they were attractive. She was relieved, in a way, that he had been made ugly. She had a weakness for pretty faces. Selina came to mind, again.

"If I don't?"

"I'll have to drag you down."

Jen considered the idea for a moment or two.

She decided it was better not to get in a fight with someone five times her size. Barsad had been only thrice her size, after all.

With an elegant jump back (which she had learnt from Selina), Jen made a clumsy cartwheels and was back on her feet.

"Impressive," he muttered and she could sense a hint of irony in his voice.

"I'm out of practice," she replied matter-of-fact, as if she were talking to an old acquaintance.

Bane noticed she wasn't scared of him, which made him wonder. She didn't seem particularly brave or haughty either. There was a haunted look about her, like she had bigger problems than a terrorist on her hands. But her tone was normal, even, one would say, friendly.

It was strange, because Selina Kyle was most definitely afraid of him.

He did not understand why this young girl seemed so...aloof.

"If you were trying to escape, that was a very poor plan."

"I'd like to see Selina," she said, meekly. But Bane wasn't fooled. She was anything but meek.

"You will have the chance next time she comes to me."

Jen frowned. She was a bit taken aback he would offer that kind of information.

"And I'll be able to talk to her?"

Bane considered the question as something only a child would ask.

"No."

Jen nodded her head. "That's fair."

Bane's eyebrows shot up in bemusement.

"Fair?"

"I just wanna know she's safe. That's all I need," she replied evenly.

Bane was slightly put off by this girl's stubborn loyalty. He had no idea what the cat had done to get in her good graces to such an extent. He admired loyalty, but only when it was granted to people who deserved it.

"Will you punish me for what I did to that guy?" she asked in a childlike voice.

Bane stared her down.

"I'm afraid he'll want to punish you himself."

"I didn't mean to hurt him too bad. Hope he's all right."

Bane sized her up from head to toe. Was she mentally unstable? Had Selina picked up some deranged orphan from the Gotham Psychiatric Ward? She seemed disoriented and unable to cope with reality.

"Hope he won't cut me. You won't let him cut me, right? Selina would get pissed if he did. You still want her to work for you."

It was a statement, not a question. As if she knew him well.

"It's not cutting you should be afraid of."

Jen stepped up closer to him.

"Listen, mister, I know it's weird since I don't know you and you don't know me. And you probably don't like Selina very much. But if you don't harm her and if you keep her safe, I promise I won't run away. Ever. I'll probably run around. But not away."

Bane frowned at the familiarity of her words. He was no mister. She had a strange way of talking. As if everything were nothing but a light joke. He didn't like young people and he didn't like her. They all talked the same, dressed the same. They were all vulgar and stupid.

The girl might have been a bit brighter; she might have learnt something from Selina. But when you came down to it, she was just another immature teenager who had been lucky enough to be taught combat.

Bane scratched the Gotham Psychiatric Ward story. No, she must have run away from some good home, regretted her mistake after she found out what real life's like, and remained with Selina for lack of a better choice. It would explain the haunt in her eye.

"I won't have you run around or away," he replied sternly.

"Will you consider my offer, though?"

Bane remained implacably silent. Jen knew she was not going to be striking any deals with him any time soon.

Maybe she'd catch him in a better mood next time.

She sighed and her shoulders slouched in resignation.

"Will he cut my face?"

Bane threw her a look. "If he does, you will survive."

Jen understood. His mask was proof that you could live with it. For the first time, she felt fear.

Before she could react though, he had already seized her shoulders.

How does he do that? she wondered. Sneaks up on me even when he's standing in front of me.

He grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder easily, as if she were as light as a feather.

Jen was jolted by the sudden physicality.

She didn't try to struggle, but she became stiff.

He swung her back and forth as he walked back into the tunnels.

"The Mouse won't scurry away again," he said, a dangerous finality to his voice.

Jen realized she had to find something else to offer him in return for Selina's safety. She wondered what it should be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took longer than expected because I wasn't sure whether I should introduce a certain element this early on in the story. You'll realize what I'm talking about after you read the chapter. Ultimately, I decided to go for it, because what matters is the aftermath and how Bane copes with the discovery. Warning, I'm reaaally playing with canon here. I also mess around with the temporal scheme in a subtle way. Basically, this is AU in the biggest sense. So I hope you can swallow that. Thanks a bunch to all the people who've left comments and kudos. Your support gets me through.

~*~

"Come here, Mouse. Let me give you a kiss."

Jen dodged the knife before it touched her face.

She could see the man was not playing anymore.

Barsad licked his lips, grinning. His face contorted in pain. He'd forgotten he shouldn't smile. The bandages made him look like a much older man.

"Let me take your lips. The way you took my nose."

Jen pushed herself against the wall and jumped over his body. She rolled on the floor towards the other end of the room.

A few men were watching them, cheering wanly. She didn't know whom they were cheering for.

The air in the room was stale. It smelled like shit and dry piss.

She wondered if she should stop running and just let him do it. They'd been going at it for the better part of an hour. So far, she'd earned five scratches, two blows on her back and a nasty bruise under her ribs. Barsad had forbidden the other men from touching her. He said he wanted to "carve her pretty little face" himself.

She was tired and hungry. She would have been scared too, but she was moving too fast. Everything was happening too fast. She didn't have time to think about anything else.

She had already tried to make several escapes into the tunnels, but the men always pulled her by her legs and threw her back into the "ring".

She was their new toy.

And Jen knew what men did with their toys.

She straightened her back and prepared for the worst as Barsad launched into another attack.

She growled and climbed onto his back as he lifted her over his shoulder. He jeered and spun her in his arms, as if he were carrying his bride. The men jeered with him.

Jen felt her head spinning too.

She kicked him in the shin-bone and they both landed on the floor, where they wrestled each other, arm to arm.

Barsad overpowered her small body. His hands were around her neck and this time, it looked like she would stay put. The blade was cool and damp on her chin. Maybe she was ready, after all.

Would it hurt that much?

She knew he wouldn't kill her. He just wanted to get back at her, tooth for tooth. If she grit her teeth and shut her eyes and made her body stand still, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I mean she'd suffered worse injuries, except no one had done anything to her face before.

Her hands traveled down to his chest. He was broad, but slim. She almost smiled. Her hands traveled lower to his stomach.

"Now, don't move, Mouse," Barsad mouthed, running the blade smoothly against her lips.

The skin broke. Her head shifted to the right, but he held it in place.

Her fingers slipped across his length and reached their destination. At first she only cupped them, but when she suddenly wrenched his balls, Barsad dropped the blade and yelped, as if he'd been bitten again.

She squeezed him tighter. He almost collapsed over her body, but she held a hand over his chest.

"You don't wanna get up quickly. I don't need a knife to rip them off. I've done it many times. Broke some fingers. It was worth it," she told him calmly, watching his panic-stricken face with interest.

"Don't," Barsad moaned.

"Pick up the knife you dropped. Pick it up. That's it."

Barsad held the blade with trembling fingers.

"Put it in my pocket," she instructed him gently. "Yeah, the one on my shirt. Now, listen. I'm sorry about your nose. I didn't wanna hurt you. But I can't let you cut my lips. I need them, for now."

Barsad closed his eyes when her fingers pinched him again.

"I'm gonna count back from three. When I reach one, you're gonna slowly get up and walk away. I'm not gonna do anything. Okay?"

Barsad seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then nodded his head in compliance.

"Okay. Ready? Three. Two. One –"

Barsad felt her fingers untangling from his testicles. Anger welled up in him and he reached back for the knife in her pocket. He wasn't going to give up just cuz a little girl had threatened his manhood.

He was fast, but not fast enough.

Jen was expecting something like this. She didn't like it, but she was ready to do it.

"Sorry, Barsad."

She knew the exact movements, the precision required, the pressure. By the time he got back the knife, she'd already locked his waist between her legs, opening up for him.

And then, in a matter of moments, she'd brought both hands on his scrotum and blood started spurting from the fresh wound.

The desperate cries he made as he fell back in agony were hard to listen to.

He started wailing and screaming as the blood kept pouring out.

Jen closed her eyes. She hated this part. Then she lifted herself up and wiped her hands on her pants. Her fingers hurt. She couldn't move them well.

All the men around her had stepped back in awe and disgust.

"He needs to go to the hospital. He needs to go now," she informed them, her voice barely audible over Barsad's howls.

She picked up the knife that had fallen on the ground.

When she turned to leave, no one stood in her way. She made her way out through one of the tunnels. No one followed her. They didn't have to.

There were henchmen positioned at every exit.

She had nowhere to go.

~*~

Jen collapsed against the wall of the tunnel. She turned on her stomach and opened her mouth to vomit. She hadn't eaten in days. She had only slept four hours in three days. And it was going to get much worse.

She took out the knife from her pocket. She's promised Selina she'd never do it. But this seemed as good a time as any.

And anyway, she wouldn't hate her for it. Anyone would do the same in her position, wouldn't they?

 _If I don't die now, I'll die later_ , she told herself. She was already starving and exhausted. She'd maybe survive one more day, but what was the use?

 _Selina_ , a voice in her head reminded her.

 _No, Selina will have to take care of herself_ , she argued.

But she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure if the only friend she had in this world would be able to take care of herself, after all.

She hesitated. Selina was just as alone as she was.

The choice was taken out of her hands. She passed out.

~*~

This was the second time she was waking up in an unfamiliar place. She was lying on a shabby looking bed. A blanket covered her legs. She was naked from the waist down, only T-Shirt and panties. The room looked cozier than anything she'd seen so far. Maybe Selina had found her. Maybe she was back home, or the closest to home she'd ever been.

"I know you are awake."

Her head was pounding. The beast was looking down on her. He was just as tall and strong as she'd remembered. His mask looked like a giant spider.

"Why am I half-naked? I mean, I don't mind. Just wondering," she said, pulling the blanket around her as she sat up.

"Your other articles of clothing couldn't be salvaged. Too much blood," he explained.

"Oh. Got it," she said, rubbing her bleary eyes. "Thanks, I guess."

Then, she smiled bitterly. "Why did you bring me here? This is _your_ room, right?"

Bane chose not to reply. He was standing with his back now, busying himself with a saucepan on a table in front of her.

"If you want to have sex, it's fine. Just ask. I told you I'd do just about anything to keep Selina safe."

His movements stopped abruptly. His shoulders rose.

"You entertain absurd notions, child."

 _Child_.

The word seemed to suggest she was far too young to be speaking of such things. She rolled her eyes. She was twenty-three, but you couldn't tell from looking at her. Most people thought she was seventeen.

He suddenly turned to her and walking to her bedside, set down something on the nightstand.

It was a bowl filled with a viscous liquid.

"You should eat."

Jen almost toppled over the bed. She grabbed the bowl without being told twice. She didn't care what was in it. Her stomach was growling.

Bane eyed her with curiosity. He sat on a long bench, grabbing the barrel of a gun and a piece of cloth. He started cleaning.

Jen emptied the bowl surprisingly fast. It was some kind of stew.

"More," she croaked and raised the bowl.

Bane's eyes crinkled in amusement. She was so demanding. She didn't seem to care he was holding so many weapons.

"Already?"

He got up and walked across the room.

"You'll get another one after you answer my questions."

Jen pulled back the dirty strands of hair from her face and tried to stay alert, despite the fact that she was on the verge of falling asleep again.

"Yes?"

"Who taught you how to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Don't play stupid now, Mouse."

Jen swallowed. Her mouth tasted like acid.

"And don't tell me it was Miss Kyle. She would never get her hands so dirty. Limb separation is a fine, but gruesome art. Very few practice it."

Jen lowered her eyes.

"You'd be surprised what she can do."

"Who taught you, Mouse?"

"No one," she replied, raising her chin. "I picked it up by myself. It's not an _art_."

Bane shook his head.

"If you are going to use such advanced skills, you'd best learn how to hide them."

Jen rolled her eyes dramatically.

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of ninja."

"Who taught you?" he asked again.

"Santa Clause," she replied stubbornly.

"Either you are very stupid or very stubborn. Do not make this difficult."

"I am telling the truth. He's got a training camp at the North Pole."

"I know your weakness, Mouse. Miss Kyle is sleeping in her apartment right now. I can even tell you how many breaths she's taken since she's fallen asleep. I am watching her."

Jen clenched her fists in her lap.

"Is Barsad alive?"

"Don't avoid the question. It will only make me less amiable."

"As if," she scoffed.

His demeanor changed from slightly amused to downright furious in moments.

"Do not provoke me."

I can't – I can't tell you," she said, turning several degrees whiter.

Bane's eyebrows furrowed.

"It's not a question of what you can or cannot do. You _must_ tell me."

Jen remained silent.

"You are treading on dangerous waters."

"I'm sorry, I can't –"

"Enough! When I tell you to speak, you speak. When I tell you to die, you die. I hold your life in my hands. I hold all of Gotham. Including your beloved Miss Kyle."

"My father," she croaked out at length.

Bane raised his eyebrows.

"Your father?"

Jen nodded, her face ashen. She'd never spoken about him to anyone, not even Selina. But Bane was a different matter.

"He's not around anymore."

"Who was your father?"

"Some crazy old fart," she muttered, looking down at the scratches on her thighs.

"You'll have to do better than that."

Jen made a face. "You don't get it, bad things happen when I mention my dad. All you need to know is that he was insane enough to teach me that stuff."

"I see he didn't instill a sense of discipline in you. Nor did he advise you to speak the truth to your superiors."

Jen threw him a look.

"He always told me to lie through my teeth."

Bane's eyes crinkled with amusement again.

"Tell me his name."

Jen ran a hand through her hair. It felt like a giant nest. She really needed a shower.

"You don't want to know him, okay? He's dead. What's the point, anyway?"

"You don't have to understand, Mouse. I simply require a name."

Jen was at the end of her tether. She really wanted another bowl of soup, a hot shower, a warm bed and maybe some peace and quiet. But you can't have it all.

"I do not wish to harm Miss Kyle, but I will."

Jen squirmed, but remained silent.

"You would sacrifice the beloved friend you hold so dear?" Bane asked, feigning surprise.

"No."

"Well then?"

Jen suddenly threw the blanket away and jumped off the bed. She reached out for one of the guns he'd been cleaning, but she was lunged back on the mattress. She should have known he was not one of his henchmen.

He'd grabbed her by both legs before she had time to make another step.

One hand was holding her by the ankles, the other was wrapped around her neck. The enormous fingers looked comical across her tiny body.

His mask now appeared to her like a giant octopus, ready to suck her in.

"Were you trying to kill me with my own guns?"

She shrugged.

"S-Something like that," she sputtered, trying to get air in her lungs.

"Do you really want this to be over, Mouse? I can make it happen. I can turn off the light on both you and Miss Kyle in the blink of an eye."

Jen felt tears prickle her eyes. The dirt made them sting.

"I can't say his real name. But they called him Henri Ducard."

Bane released her so fast, she almost lost her breath.

Jen rolled to the other side of the bed, coughing.

"So yeah," she said, "I hope that satisfies your goddamn curiosity."

Bane had turned away from her.

"You lie."

Jen stood up, gaping.

"What?"

"You wish to confound me, you stupid little thing. What did I tell you about lying to your superiors?"

Jen blinked. "I wasn't – what the hell are you talking about? I'm not trying anything. I'm scared shitless. You asked me to tell you."

"Your father cannot be Henri Ducard."

Jen sneered. "Trust me, I'm not exactly proud of it. You were the one who pushed me –"

Bane was now pulling her by her hair.

Jen yelped in pain.

"Tell me who your father really is. No more nonsense."

"I told you! It's Henri Ducard!"

"Do you even know this man you speak of? Do you even know who he is?"

Jen blinked back more tears.

"He's the guy who kept me locked up in a monastery since I was three. I got out when I turned fifteen. That's it. That's the truth."

Something like recognition flickered across Bane's face.

"A monastery."

"It was destroyed. Someone must've realized it was batshit insane."

Bane held her chin up, looking into her eyes.

"Do you know what that place stood for?"

She frowned. "How do you know it–"

"Tell me. Tell me what it stood for."

Jen bit her lip. "Father used to call it The League of Shadows. Shitty metaphor for something."

Bane lowered his gaze to the floor. It was the first time he was not looking straight into her eyes.

"You – you've heard of it," she surmised.

"If you can speak about the League of Shadows, then you may utter his name, child."

Jen drew back from his grasp, her eyes betraying terror.

Not fear of Bane. Fear of the name, fear of her father.

"I can never say his real name. Don't make me. I'll swallow my own tongue if I have to."

And that's when Bane realized she was speaking the truth.

For no man or woman who had met Ra's al Ghul intimately could ever say the name lightly. His name held a power beyond the grave. His name was death itself.

"Did you know him?" Jen asked when the silence prolonged for too long.

Bane nodded, seeing no reason to conceal this from her.

"Then…then you understand," she said, pulling her knees to her chest.

Bane's eyes looked troubled.

"I was going to use you as leverage for Miss Kyle, Mouse. But it seems you are going to serve as something else."

Jen raised an eyebrow.

"What, I'm suddenly worth more now that you know my dad was a psycho?"

"No. You're worth more since you have a sister."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that this is the Batman Begins! Ra's al Ghul I'm talking about here. I know the comic book character had another daughter, but I'm not turning Jen into that particular character. Just thought I'd explain that. Anyway, please share your thoughts.


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